Takayuki Kishi has not mentioned anything to the media, but there is a chance he could exercise his option. He does enjoy playing for the Seibu Lions, but is also interested in finding out what kind of value he has on the free agent market.

If Kishi decides to exercise his option, a number of teams will most likely be interested, beginning with the Rakuten Eagles. The Eagles could have a slight advantage over other teams (not including Seibu) since they are located close to his home town in Sendai.

The Lions may have already approached Kishi with a multi-year extension.

The Rakuten Eagles are very interested in Kishi and could offer him a sizable multi-year deal, if he decides to test the free agent market. Their offer could be bigger than his current deal with the Seibu Lions (three years, 1.2 billion yen).

It might be down to two options for Kishi: return to Miyagi (Rakuten) or stay in Tokorozawa (Seibu). There are several problems with either option. Kishi has struggled with injuries the last few years and may be concerned about the cold weather in Miyagi. The Lions spent a lot on Ernesto Mejia and might not have quite as much left to spend on Kishi.

Heading overseas is also an option, but there might not be a lot of interest because of his injuries.

The Lions still have one last final meeting with Kishi. They plan to wait for a good reply, even if he decides to exercise his free agent option. They are not planning to make changes to their offer since they believe it is solid.

The Rakuten Eagles might be preparing the uniform number 11 and a four-year deal that could be worth as much as 1.6 billion yen (total would include incentives and bonuses). The Seibu Lions’ offer is believed to about about 1.0 billion yen over four years.